CHARLOTTE -- A program that began in just four Project LIFT schools is now in 41 schools across the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district.

Opportunity Culture gives an exceptional teacher a new role and a pay raise.

The new role is called "multi-classroom leader", or MCL. MCLs design lesson plans for other teachers to follow. They also provide help and resources to teachers as well.

“Research says that 1 in every 4 teachers are that amazing teacher that produces extraordinary results,” Dan Swartz, Human Capital Strategies Specialist with Project LIFT, said.

In the last 3 years, most Opportunity Schools in CMS saw significant improvements.

Some schools, however, like Thomasboro Academy, continue to struggle to meet the state’s achievement requirements.

Swartz said “We can't say that we're going to implement Opportunity Culture, and we're going to solve all the social emotional issues of each and every student or other challenges that particular school may face.”

But still, it’s an important piece of the puzzle to widen the reach of excellent teachers.